Decision : CONF 209 VIII.C.1
Historic Centre of Sighisoara (Romania)

Property: Historic Centre of Sighisoara

Id. N°: 902

State Party: Romania

Criteria: C (iii) (v)

The Committee inscribed the site on the World Heritage List on the basis of criteria (iii) and (v):

Criterion (iii): Sighisoara is an outstanding testimony to the culture of the Transylvanian Saxons, a culture that is coming to a close after 850 years and will continue to exist only through its architectural and urban monuments.

Criterion (v): Sighisoara is an outstanding example of a small fortified city in the border region between the Latinoriented culture of Central Europe and the Byzantine- Orthodox culture of south-eastern Europe. The apparently unstoppable process of emigration by the Saxons, the social stratum that had formed and upheld the cultural traditions of the region, threatens the survival of their architectural heritage as well.

The Observer of Germany recommended that the Government of Romania should inform the Committee through the World Heritage Centre of the approval of the new law on cultural heritage that has been submitted to Parliament. Approval of this law is foreseen in February 2000.

The Delegate of Hungary recalled that he had made a detailed statement on this nomination at the twenty-third extraordinary session of the Bureau.